Is Metacam or Onsior cheaper online?

Generic meloxicam (the active ingredient in Metacam) is the cheapest NSAID at around £20-£22/month for a medium dog. Onsior is more expensive but well-tolerated. Your vet picks based on the dog; both are routinely available from VMD-approved online pharmacies at less than half vet prices.

Can my dog take an NSAID and gabapentin together?

Yes, frequently. They work on different pain pathways and are commonly combined for chronic arthritis. Always follow your vet's dosing instructions. From a saving perspective, ask for both on a single written prescription to pay £21 + £12.50 = £33.50 rather than two separate £21 fees.

How much can I save on Librela?

Librela is a monthly vet-administered injection. The medicine itself costs £50-£95/month at the average UK practice and £32-£50/month online. Some practices accept client-supplied medication for administration — ask yours. If they do, you pay just the administration fee plus the online medicine cost.

Joint & pain · 13 medications

Dog pain medication UK — Metacam, Galliprant, gabapentin

Compare canine NSAIDs, gabapentin, Librela and adjunct painkillers across VMD-approved online pharmacies. Typical saving £400-£700/year for arthritic dogs.

medications in the pain category

Curated UK index

£38.14/mo

typical vet vs online monthly saving (average across category)

Across 13 medications with online prices

13/13

medications cheaper online than at the vet

Indicative, May 2026

Pain medication for arthritic and senior dogs is the single largest area where UK owners overpay. The most-prescribed canine NSAID, meloxicam (Metacam), costs around £26-£42 per month at the average UK vet for a medium dog. The same product online runs at £22-£27, and the generic at less than £20. Branded NSAIDs like Onsior and Galliprant are even more dramatic — Galliprant for a 25 kg dog typically costs £55-£75 at the vet and £30-£40 online.

Add Librela (the monthly anti-NGF injection), gabapentin for neuropathic pain, and adjuncts like Pardale-V or tramadol, and a senior arthritic dog can easily save £500-£700 a year by switching to a VMD-approved online pharmacy.

From 23 September 2026 the CMA Order caps the prescription fee at £21 for the first medicine and £12.50 for each additional medicine on the same prescription. For a dog on three pain-related products (e.g. Galliprant, gabapentin, Pardale-V), one combined prescription costs £46 — the saving still dwarfs that.

Below is every pain and joint medication in our index. Each links through to a per-medication calculator that takes your dog's weight and shows the exact monthly and annual saving.

Every pain medication in our index

13 products listed. Click any to see the per-weight calculator and online price comparison.

Joint & pain

Metacam (Meloxicam)

Inflammation and pain from osteoarthritis or post-surgery in dogs. One of the most prescribed NSAIDs in UK veterinary practice.

Pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis and after soft-tissue surgery.

Pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis and post-surgery.

Osteoarthritis pain - newer NSAID with selective EP4 receptor action.

Monthly anti-NGF injection for osteoarthritis pain in dogs.

Chronic pain (especially neuropathic) and situational anxiety in dogs.

Moderate to severe pain in dogs (typically used short-term).

COX-2-selective NSAID used for short-term pain and inflammation from soft-tissue surgery and orthopaedic procedures, and longer-term for osteoarthritis in dogs over six months old.

Weekly oral NSAID for osteoarthritis pain in dogs. Loading dose on day 1, then once weekly thereafter. Reduces the number of doses to remember.

Daily COX-2-selective NSAID for the management of pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis and after orthopaedic or soft-tissue surgery.

Once-monthly NSAID for osteoarthritis pain in dogs over 12 months old. Long half-life means a single chewable tablet per month.

Short-course pain relief combining paracetamol with low-dose codeine, typically prescribed alongside or instead of an NSAID for moderate pain. Codeine is a controlled drug; dispensing requires a written prescription.

Monthly anti-NGF injection for chronic osteoarthritis pain in cats. Administered by a vet. (Indexed here for owners researching pricing; this is a cat product.)

Frequently asked questions

Is Metacam or Onsior cheaper online?: Generic meloxicam (the active ingredient in Metacam) is the cheapest NSAID at around £20-£22/month for a medium dog. Onsior is more expensive but well-tolerated. Your vet picks based on the dog; both are routinely available from VMD-approved online pharmacies at less than half vet prices.
Can my dog take an NSAID and gabapentin together?: Yes, frequently. They work on different pain pathways and are commonly combined for chronic arthritis. Always follow your vet's dosing instructions. From a saving perspective, ask for both on a single written prescription to pay £21 + £12.50 = £33.50 rather than two separate £21 fees.
How much can I save on Librela?: Librela is a monthly vet-administered injection. The medicine itself costs £50-£95/month at the average UK practice and £32-£50/month online. Some practices accept client-supplied medication for administration — ask yours. If they do, you pay just the administration fee plus the online medicine cost.

Get an alert when pain medication prices drop

We track prices monthly across every VMD-approved UK online pharmacy. Be the first to know when pain medication gets cheaper.

Indicative monthly cost across all 13 products in this category (cheapest online pack-equivalents summed): £90.19. Always verify the current price on the pharmacy site before purchase. Not medical advice.